Exposing Young Talent in Film
Article published: Monday, November 2nd 2009
exposures, the UK’s leading student film and moving image festival, will be spicing up Manchester’s autumn cultural calendar from 17-19 November. Over fifteen years, exposures has become the only regular UK-wide competitive festival of its kind, showcasing budding talent.
The festival website’s Top Tips asks filmmakers, “Why not try something new?” and it seems the festival’s own leitmotif is originality. It is more into “lesbian mermaids and monster-fighting grannies” than film noir. There is also a warning against the filmmaker’s Deadly Sins: don’t stretch out five minutes to fifteen and avoid focusing on one of the saucy, but predictable, Suicide, Stalking or Sex Industry trilogy. Organisers are clearly keeping cringe-potential under wraps.
In 2008 exposures screened more than 100 short films at the Cornerhouse Cinema, alongside three feature film premieres. A host of workshops, talks and Q&As gave audiences an invaluable insight into the world of filmmaking. This year promises more of the same mix of education and entertainment.
Entry guidelines allow any genre, theme or type, as long as it is under 30 minutes, so an eclectic mix is guaranteed. The films have all been produced by UK-based students and will be using innovative approaches to maximise audience numbers. Films will be screened using gallery space, cinemas, online and even via mobile phone.
For a festival that was founded by student filmmakers themselves as a single Wednesday afternoon screening, exposures now attracts judges and guest speakers that belie its humble beginnings. In recent years it has welcomed directors Michael Winterbottom, Marc Evans and Richard Kwietniowski and scriptwriters Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Russell T Davies, offering young filmmakers a unique opportunity to learn from the best.
The work is judged by an independent, professional jury which last year included scriptwriter Paul Abbott, Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle, and the renowned documentary filmmaker Kim Longinotto, while the Audience Award is voted for by the public.
This edition promises to be an exciting year for exposures where audiences can expect a stimulating mix of high quality and originality.
Check out the website www.exposuresfilmfestival.co.uk. Programmes available from Cornerhouse.
Entry for the 2010 festival will open next summer.
Emer Martin
More: Culture, Manchester, Screen
Comments
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Hi i work for the manchester fanzine same teens and we are desperately looking for someone to film a couple of interviews for us with a couple of bands…is there anyone you can put us in touch with?
Comment by ellen on November 30, 2009 at 3:20 pm
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